The death toll of children from diphtheria at a municipal hospital in north-west Delhi has risen to 18, even as the area's mayor has set up a panel to look into it, officials said on September 23.

Twelve deaths were reported at the Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital on September 20 and another one at LNJP Hospital. "A total of 18 children have died at the civic hospital so far, 17 of the patients were from outside Delhi and only one belonged to Delhi," a senior NDMC official said.

He quoted the figures from the information obtained from the medical superintendent of the hospital. The hospital in north-west Delhi is governed by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. "From September 6-23, there have been 147 admissions, out of which 122 belonged to Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Haryana and 14 from Delhi for diphtheria cases. 18 of them have died till date," he said.

Meanwhile, North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta has set up a panel to look into the death cases and sought a report, sources said. The report is likely to be submitted to him in three days, they said, adding that the panel is headed by an additional commissioner of the NDMC.

Medical Superintendent Sunil Kumar Gupta on September 20 had said that the patients belonged to age group of up to 9 years. Gupta had claimed that the hospital had all the required treatment facilities to handle such cases. "The patients admitted at advanced stage could not respond to the treatment and hence could not survive," he had said.